AD&D - New World

these are the days of high adventure!

63: Bingo and the Bea

our heroes cross a river...

7

JUN/17

Having made it through the Grand Cavern, the Revengers rest and make camp. After their rest, they approach the rushing kuoport river, an underground river ferried by Thoopshib, a supposedly mad kuo-toa. He charges them a platinum piece each to cross, which the Revengers pay.

They approach a purple-glowing room — lit by glowing lichen and mushrooms — and meet Torsi Garnetgetter, a deep gnome who has never left the underdark. Torsi and his friends warn the Revengers that a kuo-toa shrine is up ahead, and that it could be passed through safely — if the Revengers pay the fish-folk an appropriate tribute.

But! Torsi has another idea. He proposes that the Revengers go into the shrine and loot it/steal the treasures of the kuo-toa. First he offers to split the treasure with the Revengers, but Bertram counter-offers that the deep gnomes can keep all the treasure if they tell them the way to the surface. Ann, who has already told them/is guiding them to the surface, briefly protests, but Torsi is happy to make the deal. Torsi seals the deal with an old-fashioned deep gnome butt-shake, which unfortunately involves an embrace and a finger in the butt. It’s a custom!

Torsi gives Bertram a new, proper deep gnome name — Bingo — and they offer the Revengers a spot in their camp for the night. But Bertram becomes increasingly uncomfortable with the nature of Tori’s butt-shake, to the point that he wishes to call off the deal and move on. He pulls a dagger on Torsi and a fight nearly breaks out, but Valeria takes the weapon away.

Thought confused and initially offended, Torsi comes to feel bad about what he has done. He calls off the deal and he and his deep gnomes depart. Bertram is left feeling violated and more alone than ever before.

Also, Jeff tries to hit on Mildred when she is in the form of a muskrat. Mildred rebuffs him.

Further along the tunnels, the Revengers encounter a wandering troll accompanied by several troglodytes. The troll and the trogs are burned to death after Bea takes control of the flame from several enlarged fire beetles. By taking their fire Bea inadvertently kills the beetles. Toward the end of the battle, Mildred reanimates the corpses of 2 beetles and 1 troglodyte. Several of the Revengers — particularly Ervendio and Valeria — continue to question the morality of Mildred’s reanimation of the dead.

What is good? What is evil? What is in-between? The Revengers continue their journey through the underdark….